2013

The day George Zimmerman was acquitted in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, Alicia Garza wrote a Facebook post she called a love letter to Black people. Patrisse Cullors shared it with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, and with Opal Tometi they co-founded a movement that would become one of the most significant civil rights organizations of the twenty-first century.

Alicia Garza wrote a 'love letter to Black people' on Facebook following George Zimmerman's acquittal in the Trayvon Martin case; Patrisse Cullors shared it with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter; Opal Tometi amplified it online. This act launched one of the most consequential social movements of the 21st century, which mobilized millions worldwide and forced a global reckoning with systemic racism following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

Virgil Abloh founded Off-White in Milan, creating a luxury streetwear brand that within five years became among the hottest labels in global fashion. Abloh, who had been Kanye West's creative director, shattered the barrier between street culture and high fashion and later became artistic director at Louis Vuitton menswear.

Ryan Coogler's debut feature Fruitvale Station, depicting the last day of Oscar Grant's life before his killing by BART police, won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and the Prize of the Future at Cannes. Made when Coogler was 26, the film announced him as a major filmmaking talent and helped galvanize the emerging movement against police killings of Black Americans that would become Black Lives Matter.

Beyoncé dropped her fifth studio album without any prior announcement, accompanied by a music video for every track—14 videos in total. The release strategy upended the music industry's promotional model and broke iTunes records. The album's frank exploration of sexuality, marriage, and Black womanhood was seen as a defining artistic statement.

Governor Nikki Haley appointed Tim Scott to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jim DeMint, making Scott the first Black senator from South Carolina since Reconstruction and the first Black Republican senator in the Senate since 1979. He subsequently won election to full terms in 2014 and 2016.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh led the Miami Heat to a second consecutive NBA Championship, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. James was again named Finals MVP after his near-triple-double average across the series.

Cory Booker won a special election to become the junior U.S. Senator from New Jersey, becoming only the second Black senator from New Jersey ever elected and one of only eight Black senators in U.S. history at that point. Booker had previously served as mayor of Newark.

Richard Sherman anchored the Seattle Seahawks defense that set multiple NFL records in the 2013 season, allowing the fewest points in league history. Sherman's post-game interview following the NFC Championship became one of the most viewed clips in NFL history and sparked a national conversation about how Black athletes are perceived and policed in public expression.